Ecuador Walks Graded by Effort

October 19, 2026

Safety and travel advice, October 2026: A state of exception covering eight provinces, Pichincha and Quito among them, has applied since 15 September 2026 for 60 days, and curfews have been imposed several times this year, so look up the current decree before you walk anywhere. The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the coastal provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Guayas, El Oro, Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (airside transit at Guayaquil airport excepted) and to any place within 20 km of the Colombian border, Lago Agrio included. At the time of writing the US State Department rates Ecuador Level 2, with higher levels for named areas. The routes below lie in Quito, Cuenca, the central highlands and Santa Cruz in the Galápagos, outside the FCDO areas. Even there, muggings, bag snatching by motorbike riders and express kidnapping after hailing a street taxi are reported, and rain from the forecast 2026-27 El Niño can bring landslides onto trails. Check gov.uk and travel.state.gov before you book and again before you fly.

Walks in Ecuador differ less in distance than in effort, because the air thins quickly as you climb. This page grades the best-documented routes as easy, moderate or hard, with altitudes so you can judge them. Quito stands at about 2,850 m and Cuenca at about 2,560 m. Do the easy walks first, and keep the hard ones for later in your trip.

Grade	Walk	Time	Altitude
Easy	Cuenca centre and river	A morning	About 2,560 m
Easy	Quito old town	A morning	About 2,850 m
Easy	Laguna de Limpiopungo	About 1 hour	About 3,800 m
Moderate	Tortuga Bay	About 2.5 km	Near sea level
Moderate	Quilotoa crater	30 to 45 minutes down	About 3,900 m
Hard	Cotopaxi refuge path	45 to 75 minutes up	To about 4,800 m
Hard	Rucu Pichincha	A guided day	About 4,700 m

Easy walks

Cuenca centre and river. This is the best city walk in the country. Start on the Tomebamba riverside, pass El Barranco, follow Calle Larga and finish at Parque Calderón beside the New Cathedral. UNESCO listed the historic centre in 1999, and the streets are mostly flat.

Quito old town. Walk between roughly 10:00 and 16:00, when tourist police are most visible, from Plaza Grande along García Moreno to La Ronda, where musicians and craft shops fill the street in the afternoon. The FCDO warns of mugging and pickpocketing in the old town, so carry little cash, keep your phone out of sight and use ATMs inside banks or malls. After dark, take a registered taxi. Ride up to the summit of El Panecillo rather than climbing the stairs, and stay away from its foot once the light fades. Hire a licensed guide if you would like the churches explained.

Laguna de Limpiopungo. The flat lakeside circuit inside Cotopaxi National Park needs about an hour at roughly 3,800 m. There is no entrance fee, but you register at the ranger gate and carry your passport, and no public bus goes there, so book a tour or taxi. Look at IG-EPN before you go, because the volcano is active.

Moderate walks

Tortuga Bay, Santa Cruz. The walk from Puerto Ayora is about 2.5 km, and walkers register at the trailhead. Sources disagree on opening hours, fees and guide rules, so ask in town before you set out. Swim only at Playa Mansa, the calm beach, because strong currents are common elsewhere. Foreign visitors over 12 pay the US$200 park fee on arrival at Baltra or San Cristóbal.

Quilotoa crater. From the rim at about 3,900 m a path drops to the water in 30 to 45 minutes, but the climb back takes 60 to 120 minutes, so carry water and start early. A mule uphill costs roughly US$10 to 12. The community fee is about US$2, and the village has no ATMs.

Hard walks

Cotopaxi refuge path. From a car park at about 4,500 m, a steep 45 to 75 minute walk on loose scree leads to the José F. Ribas refuge at about 4,800 m. Plan it only after several days at altitude, and go slowly. Climbing beyond the refuge to the summit needs an accredited guide by law.

Rucu Pichincha. The top lies at about 4,696 to 4,700 m. The FCDO records deaths from hypothermia on this route, so book an accredited guide, leave early and pack a helmet. Lightning has killed climbers elsewhere in Ecuador as well, so turn around when cloud gathers.

Altitude and mountain safety

Give yourself easy first days. If a headache, vomiting, confusion or breathlessness at rest develops, descend and get help. On mountains, walk with a guide or a group and never alone.

To compare guided routes, browse Cuenca walking tours on GetYourGuide .